Fish Seem To Be Rubbing Themselves Off The Sand

[dominicbeha]

My new mbuna seem to be rubbing themselves off the sand? any ideas

 

[fry_lover]

normal

i posted exactly the same when i first got mbuna

my tank is mature, no disease, no deaths, very vibrant, good water stats, good diet, they STILL do it sometimes

it's aggression or at the least "showing off", they all start doing it after i feed them, when i feed them, for the next 15-20 mins thats the only aggro i see in my Malawi "mix" tank

if you watch closely, you will normally see that they are rubbing and trying to get another fish's attention, kinda like saying "dont mess with me"

Of course, rubbing CAN be a sign of a parasite problem and/or poor water quality, so it may be worth checking your water just to be safe and also generally keep an eye out for any parasite probs, but i still say its "normal" mbuna behaviour. I certainly dont like to see any rubbing in my livebearer and small community tank (which thankfully i dont)

 

[dominicbeha]

ahhh ta ! had a worried nite over them!

 

[rowdyburns21]

is your tank cycled or mature?